BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The Philippine Statistics Office– Benguet reported that the population of Benguet and Baguio City have increased based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing (CHP) results presented in a data dissemination forum recently.
Benguet posted a total population of 460,683 as of May 1, 2020, which is higher by 14,459 over the 2015 census figure of 446,224 and by 56,739 people compared with the population of 403,944 in 2010.
The annual population growth rate of Benguet for the period of 2015 to 2020 is 0.67 percent from 1.32% recorded for the period 20210 to 2020. This means that there was approximately one person added per year for every 100 people.
Among the 13 municipalities of Benguet, La Trinidad is the largest in terms of population size with 137,404 people or 29.8 % of the total population of the province. Itogon is second with 61,498 people or 13.3%. Rounding up the top most populated towns are Tuba with 48,312(10.5%), Buguias with 44,877 individuals (9.7%), and Mankayan with 37,233 people or 8.1%.
The municipality of Sablan has the smallest population with 11,588 people or 2.5 %.
Of the 140 barangays in Benguet, Pico in La Trinidad reported the highest population count with 25,790 persons which account to 5.6 percent of the total population of the province. It is followed by Balili and Poblacion, also in La Trinidad, with 17,756(3.9%) and 12,685(28%) population, respectively.
Barangay Anchukey in Kabayan recorded the least number of people with only 270 persons, barely 0.1% of the provincial population.
PSA Benguet Chief Statistical Specialist Imelda Buyucan said there are four municipalities which recorded decrease in population compared to the 2015 CPH due to migration. These are Atok with 19,218 population in the 2020 census compared to the 19,667 in the 2015 CPH; Bakun with 14,535 from 15,357; Kapangan with 19,297 from 19,361 and Kibungan with 17,051 from 17,292.
She explained that during the data collection, some of the people in said towns have moved to other areas or back to their home towns as they have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Baguio City posted a population of 366,358 as of May 1, 2020. This count is higher by 20,992 compared to the population of 316,676 in 2010.
The annual population growth rate of Baguio City for the period of 2015 to 2020 is 1.25 percent from 1.54% recorded for the period of 2010 to 2020. This means that there were approximately two persons added per year for every 100 people.
Barangay Irisan recorded the highest population count with 36,562 accounting for 10.0% of the city’s population, followed by Camp 7 and Asin Road with 13,875 and 13,823 people, respectively.
Buyucan said that the conduct of the 2020 CHP was very challenging due to COVID-19 but with the support of the various stakeholders that include the local government units, line agencies, law enforcement agencies, civil society groups and the communities that cooperated, the census was successful.
PSA Regional Director Villafe Alibuyog thanked the different stakeholders and partners from the various sectors in the Cordillera region for the support they extended during the conduct of the census in 2020 while in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Atok Mayor Raymundo Sarac and Kapangan Acting Mayor Eslay thanked the PSA for the census they conducted in their LGUs and assured that the results will be used in the better planning and other endeavors for the development in their localities. **JDP/RMC- PIA CAR